How to Choose an Anti-Hair fall Shampoo?

After a long day at work on a weekday, or just from going out to the shopping malls and running errands on the weekend, we often come back feeling like we need to take a long shower. The showers that get us feeling our best are usually showers where we take our own sweet time shampooing our scalps and conditioning our locks! There’s no better feeling than feeling squeaky clean right out of the shower, hopping into our pajamas, and taking some time to finally relax.

However, too much shampooing or even using the wrong hair loss shampoo can get us pulling more strands of hair from our scalp than we’d like during our washes, and seeing the accumulated hairs in our bathroom trap can make us feel uneasy. Are we losing too much hair? Is it my shampoo that’s causing this? What if my hair loss keeps getting more?

From frizzy and dry hair to an itchy and oily scalp, most of us face some sort of issue when it comes to our hair. The most common hair issue that a lot of Asian women and men face is hair loss. With pollution and stress being constant companions of our lives, more and more people are seeing their precious locks falling more than usual.

And while we all know that 50-100 strands of hair loss a day is common, what happens if it starts to look a lot more than that? When you see the number of strands on your floor gradually increasing, the stress that comes with that can be hard to avoid. And it doesn’t make the stress any easier when you go to the pharmacy or supermarket and see hundreds of anti-hairfall shampoo options on the shelves that promise to prevent hair loss.

How exactly do you choose the right shampoo for you that doesn’t worsen the damage? If you are one of the many individuals who want to make an informed decision while choosing an anti-hair fall shampoo, read on to find out more about it.

How Do Shampoos Control Hair Fall?

Aside from hair loss treatment in Singapore, controlling hair fall using shampoos will be the most effective if your hair loss is caused by scalp conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or contact dermatitis.

1. Scalp Condition — Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is a scalp condition that can be considered as a chronic form of eczema. Eczema often makes your skin red and inflamed, with crustiness of skin that can ooze like blisters, and eventually form rough, leathery patches. Swelling may also occur, and often, there is an intense itch that can get so bad an individual may scratch enough to make the skin on their scalp bleed.

For those with oily skin, especially teenagers experiencing hormonal changes causing their body to produce more sebum – and in Singapore where the humid weather can encourage more sebum production! – this can cause the overproduction of sebum or oil in the scalp. This is the perfect environment for the overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia, typically and naturally found in oils on our skin. When overgrowth happens, our scalp becomes inflamed and itchy, resulting in dandruff and hair loss.

• How can shampoo help?

Shampoos that target oily skin to remove excessive oil and debris, yet are gentle enough to be used daily, can really help this condition. Consider the use of a baby shampoo that is typically free from fragrances and unnecessary preservatives, yet able to remove dirt, oil, and debris. This helps a lot, especially for those who find that it is necessary to wash their hair daily

2. Scalp Condition — Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a condition where the skin becomes irritated and forms a red, itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it. This can happen when a person develops sensitivity to ingredients that touch their scalp – shampoos, hair dyes, scalp treatments, or even conditioners. Since allergic reactions may develop over time, an individual may use products for years before they start noticing any type of reaction.

• How can shampoo help?

Changing up your shampoo into something that is more gentle or organically formulated may help this condition since the artificial detergents, preservatives, and fragrances found in hair products can be the culprits in causing irritation.

However, if you are experiencing male or female pattern hair loss without any form of scalp conditions, a shampoo may not be enough to help you with your hair loss. Shampoo has a very short period of contact with the scalp and the hair follicle; hence, it doesn’t have enough time to stimulate hair growth or prevent hair loss. For those conditions, you may need to consult with a doctor for further hair loss options.

Things to Consider Before Choosing an Anti-Hair fall Shampoo?

There are several things to consider before choosing an anti-hair fall shampoo.

If you are currently experiencing dandruff, you may want to look for medicated shampoos to control the level of dandruff. Controlling dandruff helps to prevent hair loss. Look for any products containing any of the following ingredients:

• Zinc pyrithione (Its antifungal and antibacterial properties help to reduce fungus and bacteria that contribute to an itchy, flaky scalp)
• Salicylic acid (Helpful for excessively oily pores)
• Ketoconazole (An anti-fungal, it helps to reduce dandruff associated with yeast overgrowth)
• Selenium sulfide (Avoid this if you have light-coloured hair! It may cause some discolorations)

If you are experiencing an irritated scalp and hair loss from contact dermatitis, try looking for shampoos that are:

• Sulfate, phthalate, and paraben free (Higher chances of causing irritation)
• Are pH-balanced (pH of our skin is around 4.5-5.5, and the acidic nature helps prevent development of fungi and bacteria on the scalp and hair)

A Healthier Scalp Makes A Happier You!

If you’ve tried multiple shampoos that promise a reduction in hair fall but haven’t seen results yet, you may want to book a consultation with one of our trusted professionals so that we can start getting to the root of the problem. There may be genetic factors causing androgenetic alopecia, or even an autoimmune response called alopecia areata which results in patches of hair loss. Whether you are male or female, hair loss does not discriminate.

So let’s get started today, and book an appointment at SL Aesthetic Clinic at the nearest branch near you!